Midnite Kid Heating

[namilukol]

Is it normal for the charge controller to heat up during the day when the sun is at its pick? I would also like to know if its normal for the controller to continue charging the battery despite having reached its maximum set voltage. Kindly please help

[SM-Viper]

Hello and welcome to the forum. 
Can you please describe how you think the Kid is heating up?  I'm assuming that your reading the temperature values from the Kid during the charge cycle correct?  Can you provide those temperature values?
Your second question: if you're talking about the absorb voltage, yes. The Kid will continue to increase the voltage during the bulk stage of charging until the absorb setpoint voltage is reached. Then it will hold that voltage for the remainder of charging until it reaches float and the current will slowly decrease until the set time limit is reached. If you're using a Wiz bang Jr then it will switch to float when the End Amps is reached.

Hope this helps.

[namilukol]

Dear SM-Viper,

Thanks for the welcoming gesture, much appreciated.

1) The heat I felt was by touching the casing which was consistently very warm so much that it got me worried. Am not sure where to check for temperature reading, am thinking its under set up but the button isnt responding when I press on it. How else can I check for temperature?

2) Thanks for the explanation. It makes sense. My absorb set point is 43.5V though actual voltage had hit 43.7V at some point hence my enquiry. My battery bank is 36V, and the absorb set point was automatically determined by the KID.

Thanks and regards

[Westbranch]

I notice that you are concerned by the heat generated at 43.7 volts...

Just so you know,   the highest  voltage needed at the  charge controller for charging  a 36Volt (Nominal Voltage) system should be in the range of 50 to 52 V for most FLA batteries...

Can you please post your make and model of battery you are using and the PV configuration... so we can double check your settings...

ADD in bold

[Ron Swanson]

Westbranch, check your math, seems like he is right on the money to me

[Westbranch]

Hi Ron, the numbers I used are nased on those for a 12V system needs  ~ 17V delivered to the CC for a full charge of about 14.4 - 14.8 V, the difference is the losses in the system, wiring etc. (That is why Nominal  12Volt pv panels have a Vmp of 17 - 18V).. 
and 3 x 17 comes out at 51 for me.


Ron I added a few words to clarify original post, thanks for pointing out the fuzziness. 

[CDN-VT]

Dear SM-Viper,

Thanks for the welcoming gesture, much appreciated.

1) The heat I felt was by touching the casing which was consistently very warm so much that it got me worried. Am not sure where to check for temperature reading, am thinking its under set up but the button isnt responding when I press on it. How else can I check for temperature?

2) Thanks for the explanation. It makes sense. My absorb set point is 43.5V though actual voltage had hit 43.7V at some point hence my enquiry. My battery bank is 36V, and the absorb set point was automatically determined by the KID.

Thanks and regards

Your Battery's are to have Specs ? that's is where the numbers are to be installed into the kid . then your KID with a WBjr will work well for you. Now if your using inverter power when  its charging the KID will look like its charging , but the kid uses the WBjr to monitor the batterys are with a WBjr & the correct battery charge factors .

VT

Now for the Temps , if it has fans working & feels warm , your where we all want to hear & feel . 

[namilukol]

I have double checked the settings:
1) Absorb is 43.5V 120Mins. 2) Flt is 41.5V. 3) Eq *Off. 4) No WBjr installed and its set at off.
Battery type is Deep Cycle Battery DCB-500B (2V 500Ah). Float Voltage 2.35 V/Cell (25`C).

One more issue, I was trying to check on firmware version and now the screen is stuck showing Bootloader 2.3 Firmware Update. How do i move from this screen?

[Westbranch]

searched for Battery DCB-500B (2V 500Ah)

are these the Huawei 2V AGMs?

[namilukol]

Yes they are.

My kid is reading BOOTLOADER 2.3 BAD FIRMWARE Its stuck and am failing to reset and restore factory settings. All buttons are unresponsive.

Please help!

[ClassicCrazy]

Yes they are.

My kid is reading BOOTLOADER 2.3 BAD FIRMWARE Its stuck and am failing to reset and restore factory settings. All buttons are unresponsive.

Please help!

You probably should try to reload the firmware - follow the directions on the Midnite page exactly - especially the part about using it with Windows 10 if that is what you have.

So you will need the cable to update firmware - which is common usb to cell phone cable  if you didn't get one with the KID. I think it is usb mini on the Kid side -- forget exactly .

Not sure why  your KID messed up  - maybe you had pressed the buttons for it to do the firmware upload and it is waiting for that .


Larry

[CDN-VT]

I have double checked the settings:
1) Absorb is 43.5V 120Mins. 2) Flt is 41.5V. 3) Eq *Off. 4) No WBjr installed and its set at off.
Battery type is Deep Cycle Battery DCB-500B (2V 500Ah). Float Voltage 2.35 V/Cell (25`C).

One more issue, I was trying to check on firmware version and now the screen is stuck showing Bootloader 2.3 Firmware Update. How do i move from this screen?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62qdmiKUEr0
So with those specs , A BTS & a WBjr would help save those expensive CELLS !
Do a FActory Restore on the KID  panel fuses . Pull panel / input & work with just the main battery .

VT

[namilukol]

Thanks for the advise on the wbjr. How much does one cost? The message now reads BAD FIRMWARE

How do I do the factory reset with the fuses alone. I should disconnect the input?

I had accidentally pressed the firmware update hence this challenge. I downloaded 1860 and tried to update but the drive from the KID keeps flashing in and out quickly, seems I need drivers or something to read the KID. I changed different USB cables with same result. I have windows 8.1 pro. I also tried to access the other update for windows but it just opens like a page as opposed to a download.

I really need help.

[namilukol]

It does not look like I'll manage to update as the proceudre requires first putting the cable before pressing the firmware update, but in my case, I pressed the update first so it seems to have confused the KID.

I am really a layman and would appreciate a step by step procedure on how to do the factory reset.

[ClassicCrazy]

There is a process for doing factory restore - see this video.
Since you are stuck in the upload screen not sure if this would work but you could maybe try holding the buttons Ryan says.
http://www.midnitesolar.com/pages/kid/kid_video_play.php?video_ID=110&videoCat_ID=20

I would still get the cable plugged in , then plug it in your computer and see if the computer is in communication with the Kid and if it will upload the firmware . First do the process described in firmware update to make sure your computer is ready and have the firmware file ready to drag in if all goes well.

Might be worth opening a ticket with Midnite to ask them what you should do also.

Larry